Call for proposal for Facilitate short- term skills training and quality apprenticeship for refugee and host communities in Ethiopia

Agency: ILO | Reference: Call for proposal for Facilitate short- term skills training and quality apprenticeship for refugee and host communities in Ethiopia | Type: Call for implementing partners Context and RationaleEthiopia is home to one of Africa’s largest refugee populations, with over 1 million forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) and millions of vulnerable host community members. The country faces a youth bulge with 70% of the population is under the age of 35, yet over 8.4 million children remain out of school, and 90% of 10-year-olds cannot read or write. These challenges are compounded by high youth unemployment, limited digital infrastructure, and systemic barriers to education, skills development, and decent work, particularly for displaced youth, women, and persons with disabilities.Despite Ethiopia’s significant policy progress and commitments under the Global Refugee Forum (GRF), young refugees and vulnerable host community members continue to face entrenched barriers to social and economic inclusion. This includes but not limited to, exclusion from Market-Relevant Skills Development: FDPs and host community youth face gaps in access to foundational, transferable, and digital skills. The formal education system is overstretched, and most displaced youth are unable to benefit from existing technical and vocational training (TVET), digital literacy initiatives, or lifelong learning programs due to legal, logistical, and financial constraints.In addition, they are disconnected from decent work and entrepreneurship opportunities. Refugees and marginalized youth encounter legal and institutional barriers to employment, financial services, and entrepreneurship support. Women, youth with disabilities, and adolescent girls are particularly affected by social norms, safety concerns, and lack of tailored programming.  They also face challenges in starting businesses and participating in the digital economy's livelihood opportunities.Fragmented Service Delivery and Limited Localization: Despite numerous interventions, responses remain unsustainable due to limited coordination between humanitarian and development actors, insufficient local ownership, and underinvestment in refugee-led and community-based solutions. Operationally, the initiative targets FDPs and host community youth and adolescence particularly women with disabilities in Afar and Benishangul Gumuz regions. It will strengthen skills development and livelihoods, while reinforcing Ethiopia’s Right to Work Directive No. 1019/2024 and the National Makatet Policy, enabling refugees and asylum seekers to participate meaningfully in national systems.ILO Recommendation No. 208 guidance on how to establish and strengthen quality apprenticeship systems for skills development, employment, decent work and inclusive economic participation requires all relevant stakeholders with governments taking the lead to play active role in improving transitions from education and training into the labour market participation and supporting skills development for current and future labour market needs. The ILO R-208 aims to promote high-quality apprenticeships as a pathway to employment; ensure they are inclusive, gender-responsive and linked to labour market needs. This international instrument on quality apprenticeship encourages employers, especially MSMEs, to offer meaningful apprenticeship opportunities; and promotes putting in place mechanisms to incentivize and increase participation of employers and improve the attractiveness of apprenticeships. In context of forced displacement, R-208 promotes equal access to apprenticeships by supporting vulnerable groups to equally participate and addressing barriers faced by such groups including FDP and women, girls, and PWD.Ethiopia has made notable progress in advancing inclusive skills development by integrating refugees into national education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems. This inclusive policy landscape enables forcibly displaced and host community youth to access both formal and non-formal learning on equitable terms. The government has also prioritized access to foundational, vocational, and transferable skills such as literacy, numeracy, communication, and problem-solving critical for both wage employment and entrepreneurship. In recognition of shifting labor market demands, national strategies now promote digital literacy and life skills to prepare young people for emerging economic sectors and equip them to navigate complex social and professional environments.Despite these commitments, displacement-affected communities continue to face persistent barriers including limited infrastructure, digital exclusion, and constrained access to learning and livelihoods. Through targeted investments in vocational training, foundational and digital competencies, and work-based learning, the Opportunity Fund-supported interventions aim to bridge these gaps and reinforce Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts toward inclusive human capital development. In doing so, they contribute meaningfully to the realization of the country’s Global Refugee Forum (GRF) pledges and broader systems-level incl CONTACT: • Email: ADDIS_PROCUREMENT@ilo.org